Byounique Trust opens entrepreneurship training centre in Chikwawa

A local Non-Governmental Organization- Byounique Trust has opened an entrepreneurial centre in Chikwawa with the aim of training youths in vocational skills and entrepreneurship.

Village Headwoman Kutulo receiving materias from Tiggelaar

Byounique’s representative showing off donations from the trust

Speaking on Sunday during the official opening of the centre situated at Kutulo Village under Paramount Chief Lundu, Byounique Trust, Programme Manager, Anita Tiggelaar said training at the centre will focus on supportive skills like; social skills, literacy and financial management.

Byounique Trust according to Tiggelaar, specifically targets the most vulnerable groups that include; youth from the most deprived families, youth in remote areas and youth coming from child justice facilities.

She said, “But although these youths reintegrate well into their communities, we see that the lack of work often poses a challenge for them to really participate in their society. These youths have ambitions to support their families and contribute towards the development of their communities, but they lack opportunities to do this. That is why we have decided to start Byounique Entrepreneurship Centres as a new part of our projects programme in Malawi.”

Tiggelar hoped the centre will be the first in a chain of Entrepreneurship Centers that Byounique will set up in Malawi on behalf of the full Byounique team, which includes teams in Zomba, Blantyre and Mangochi.

The Programme Manager said with the centres, Byounique wants to offer youths a chance to build a good future saying a huge school-dropout rate and high youth unemployment rates, many youths struggle to earn an income.

She added that with the entrepreneurship centers, the organization wants to bring in a positive change to the current challenges faced by the youths by giving them real chances in life.

Tiggelar explained that the Nchalo Centre, will start to offer trainings in; tailoring, brick-laying and Tinsmith as skills that are on demand in Nchalo.

She called for community participation saying, as Byounique, they believe that projects can only be successful if they are fully supported by the local community.

Over 24 youths are expected to undergo the 10 months trainings scheduled to start on May 2, 2017.

Within the first 5 months the students will undergo theory to learn basic techniques and skills and the other 5 last months will see them undergoing practical work at Byounique business center in Nchalo.

Village Headwoman Kutulo and Joshua commended the organization for reaching out and touching the youths in the area saying the trainings will keep most youths busy than for them to indulge in various malpractices.

Apart from the entrepreneurship trainings, the organization also produces a radio program called Tisinthe on top of several other outreach programs to schools and communities.